Knitting machine and machine method of knitting hosiery



April 1940- H. A. THIERFELDER 5 978 KNITTING MACHINE AND MACHINE METHOD OF KNITTING HOSIERY I Filed A pril 2, 1954 s Shets-Sheet 1 Way/11' INVENTOR.

fiQ/Ty xi 7/5/4 4 /172 BY M M, 7 7% "WM ATTORNEY;

April 2, H. A. THIERFELDER 978 KNITTING" MACHINE AND MACHINE METHOD OF KNITTING HOSIERY Filed April 2, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ml-- r\ Y cu m T O (0 I. I d Cf CC CC (I I a a a a a a r U U U U U U rmn cur qlr) my) -C\JLO cu-m m-u') lllll l FlPQi ATTORNEY! April 1940- H. A. THIERFELDER 2,195,978

KNITTING MACHINE AND MACHINE METHOD OF KNITTING HOSIERY Filed April 2, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNEY;

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Patented Apr. 2, 1940 UNITED STATES KNITTING MACHINE AND MACHINE METHOD OF KNITTING HOSIE-RY Harry A. Thierfelder, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Phoenix Hosiery Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application April 2, 1934, Serial No. 718,702

6 Claims.

This invention relates to full-fashioned hosiery, particularly of the silk or sheer type, and to means of and methods for making the same.

In the selective alternating thread carrier method of knitting, to which my invention is especially applicable, three thread carriers and their operative adjuncts are usually employed to make the body of the fabric. These carriers in the operation of the machine are picked up in sequence by the selective mechanism and are reciprocated individually across the bank of needles to lay the threads for the full courses of the fabric. While one carrier is laying its thread the other two carriers are idle at the sides of the fabric, or more accurately stated at the sides of the needle bank and sinker head assembly employed in the knitting operation. To lay a reenforce in the body of the fabric in this method of knitting, it has been necessary heretofore to use an extra thread carrier and operative adjuncts for each reenforcing section or area to be laid. This increases the number of thread carriers required in the machine and when it is desired to knit a double reenforce, as for example a buffer section in each heel splice of the stocking, lack of space in the machine to accommodate the extra carriers is a serious problem in adapting the machine for this work.

In accordance with my invention, I overcome this objection by utilizing the main carriers, that is, the carriers which lay the full courses across the body of the fabric to knit the reenforcing sections, thereby making it possible to readily and easily adapt the regular knitting machines for this work without adding any additional carriers.

In carrying out this object, I provide a means and method whereby those of the main carriers which would be normally idle during the laying of the full courses may be utilized to lay the additional threads required for the reenforcing sections.

To accomplish this result, I equip the regular full-fashioned knitting machine with means for so controlling the operation of the main carriers that the so-called idle carriers may be moved to the extent required to lay the reenforcing threads during the knitting of the fabric.

A further object of my invention is to have the carrier control so constructed and arranged that its operation is automatic in the functioning of the knitting machine whereby the idle carriers will be moved and stopped as required for laying threads for the reenforcing sections and automatically released on the return of the cycle requiring their operation for laying threads for the full courses.

Other and further objects of my invention will appear from the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows the lower portion of a leg blank of a full-fashioned stocking knitted with reenforcing areas in the form of buffer sections in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the foot and adjacent leg portion of a completed stocking, made with the leg blank of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view, on an enlarged scale, showing the course formation of the knitted fabric of Fig. l at a buffer section;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the thread carrier assembly and control means therefor of my invention;

Fig. 4a shows the permanent frictions for the bars of the main carriers;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view representing the manner of laying the threads for the courses at the buffer sections;

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken through one of the controls for the carrier bars on line 66 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 'l is a vertical sectional view taken on line 1-1 of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the carrier bars and the stops and lifters thereof of the control means at the opposite ends of the bars.

In Fig. 1, A indicates the leg blank for a fullfashioned stocking having the customary heel tabs B, C integrally knitted with the blank at the lower end thereof and having high splice portions D, E extending upwardly from the tabs above the heel as shown. The heel tabs may be reenforced by throwing in an additional thread for the short traverses, and the high splice portions are similarly formed in the knitting of the leg blank. The latter is produced by the ordinary method of selective alternating thread carrier knitting and the buffer sections F, G, in accordance with my invention, are formed by laying in the additional threads required by the use of the same carriers which form the leg blank in the manner to be hereinafter described.

As an aid to a clear understanding of my invention, I may remark that in the ordinary selective alternating carrier method of knitting, three thread carriers are customarily employed to knit the body portion of the stocking blank. These carriers each have their individual thread supplies and are caused to traverse individually and in the desired sequence across the entire width of the blank to lay a single thread for each of the full courses of the fabric. The carriers are operated individually by the well known automatic friction mechanism of the machine, and while one carrier is traversing the full width of the fabric to lay a thread for a full course, the other two carriers remain idle at the sides of the fabric. The next carrier is then selected and given a full traverse movement to lay a thread for the next course, and the third carrier is then selected and operated to lay a thread for the next following course. These operations are repeated for all of the full courses of the fabric, including those at the high splice portions D, E. In Fig. 3, I have shown the full course threads at a. When the high splice portions are reached. an extra thread b, is laid in each course and repeated throughout the extent of the high splice. These threads are laid in by extra carriers, one for each high splice. These carriers are the ones with which the machine is ordinarily equipped for this purpose. For the buffer sections, F, G, an additional thread (Fig. 3) for each section has heretofore been introduced. The added reeni'orcing for the buffer sections, in accordance with my invention, is accomplished by using the body or full carrier threads (1 and those threads are laid by the main carriers which would normally be idle between the periods of full course laying.

From the foregoing description, taken in conjunction with Fig. 3, it will be apparent that each course in the fabric at the buffer section is constituted of three threads, two body threads a, a and thread b. One thread a traverses the full width of the fabric. The other threads 0. and b traverse only those portions of the full course as required for the high splice and buffer sections respectively. The three threads extend into the fabric from its selvage edges and provide reenforced areas at the heel portion of the hose on opposite sides and immediately adjacent the rear seam. In Fig. 2, the stocking is indicated generally by H, the leg portion by A and foot portion by I. The stocking may be provided at the upper end of its leg portion with a welt (not shown) knitted by the use of thread carrier provided in the machine for this purpose.

Referring to Figs. 4 to 8, inclusive, illustrating the method and means of my invention: In Fig. 4, reference characters i, 2, and 3 indicate the three carrier bars as used for the selective alternating carrier method of knitting full courses on a full-fashioned hosiery knitting machine. 4 and r 5 indicate the bars for the high splice carriers,

left and right respectively, and 8 and 1 indicate the carrier bars for the left heel and welt, respectively. These bars are arranged in parallelism and are reciprocated endwise in the course of the knitting through the usual friction mechanisms with which the machine is provided. The bars are supported in grooves on the stationary frame 8 of the machine, as shown in Fig. '7. Each bar is equipped with a thread guide or carrier, the carriers for the bars I, 2 and 3, being marked 9, l0, and II, respectively. l2 and 13 indicate the carriers for the bars 4 and 5. The thread carriers for the bars 6 and l are not shown.

For reciprocating the bars I, 2, and 3 for full course knitting, the machine is equipped with the customary automatic friction having an operating rod M on which is mounted a friction head i5 having the usual selecting finger I6 for said bars. The finger engages these bars in notches or slots therein and through the friction head l5 moves the selected bar to traverse its thread carr er t e full wdth of the fabric.

Movement of the finger to release one bar and pick up another in the sequence required is accomplished by a cam or other control means (not shown) included in the operative 'parts of the machine, as well understood. The notches in the ars i to 3 are marked I1, l3, and i9 and they re arranged so that one bar is always positfoned to be engaged by the finger at the end of a full traverse of the next preceding bar. As shown in Fig. 4, the finger I6 is engaged with the bar I for moving its carrier 9 across the full width of the fabric, from right to'left as viewed in the drawings. Carrier ill for bar 2 is at this time at the left side of the fabric, and its notch i8 is positioned to receive the finger at the end of the stroke of bar I, as indicated in the dotted line position of the finger and the friction. I! which carries it. Bar 3 lies with its carrier II at the right side of the fabric and its notch I9 is located to receive the finger at the end of the full traverse of bar 2 from left to right. Bar 3 is next given a full traverse to the left and at the end of the movement, the finger drops bar 3 and picks up bar i which has its notch at this time in line with the finger. These operations are repeated, each bar giving a full traverse to its carrier in knitting the body portion of' the fabric. The notches are arranged above the bars so that the finger may pass over the bars in moving from one to the other.

When the knitting reaches the point for the high splices, the bars 4 and 5 are brought into operation, their carriers l2, l3 making the short traverses required for these sections in well known manner, as the bars I to 3 continue to lay the threads for the full courses in the manner described.

When the buffer sections are reached, the machine, in the form shown in the drawings, is stopped, and the permanent frictions of the machine for the bars i to 3 are connected therewith as shown in Fig. 4a and the hereinafter described controls for modifying the action of these bars are placed in operative position to prepare the machine for knitting the buffer sections. Permanent frictions are well known and need not be described, except to say that each friction, as indicated generally in Fig. 411, has a friction head 20 mounted on a reciprocating rod 2| and connected by a rigid arm 22 with one of the bars I, 2, or 3. The arms 22 engage notches in the associated bars and by a pivoted connection 23 with the head 20 may be swung out of engagement with the bar when releasing it to function for regular full course plain knitting. The permanent frictions, as well understood, move at the same time and in the same direction as the automatic friction, and when connected to the bars I to 3 move those which are released from the automatic friction to lay in the additional threads for the buffing areas of the leg blank.

The controls at the opposite ends of the bars I to 3 cooperate with lugs on the said bars, as shown in Fig. 8. Each bar has a pair of lugs la, lb, 2a, 2b; and 3a, 3b, respectively. The lugs on each bar are arranged adjacent the opposite ends of the bar and have their stop surfaces 24 facing inwardly or toward the center of the bar. The inclined or cam surfaces 25 of the lugs are on the outer sides of the lugs as shown.

For each lug there is a stop member and also a member actuated through the movement of one of the adjacent bars for lifting the stop member out of the path of movement of its coacting lug to release the associated bar. The stop and lifting member assembly is duplicated at opposite ends of the bars. The stops for the bars i to 3 are in the form of vertical rods, marked 23 to 28 at one end of the bars and 26 to 28' at the opposite end of the bars. The stops are slidably mounted for vertical movement in supports 29 above the bars. The supports are individual to the stops and are in the form of blocks adjustably mounted in channel-like seats in brackets secured to the frame of the machine and extending across the carrier bars as shown in Fig. '7. The blocks 29 are adjustable to set the stops with respect to the associated lugs on the bars by adjusting screws 3|, one for each block. Clamp orset screws 32 are employed to secure the blocks in their adjusted positions to the brackets as shown in Fig. 6.

The stops are normally pulled downwardly by coil springs 33, one for each stop. These springs, as shown in Fig. 6 are secured at their lower ends to the individual blocks 23 and have their upper ends connected to lugs on the stops. The stops are arranged directly above their associated bars as shown.

For lifting the stops out of the path of the lugs, I provide a plurality of lifters, one for each stop. The lifters for the stops at the righthand end of the machine are marked 34, 35, and 36, while those for the stops at the left-hand end are marked 34', 35', and 35', as shown in Fig. 8. The lifters are also pulled downwardly by coil springs 31, one for each lifter. As shown in Fig. 6, the lifters are also slidably mounted for verticalmovement in the blocks 29. The arrangement is such that the associated lifters and stops at the opposite ends of the bars are mounted in the same blocks. The spring 31 for each lifter has its lower. end connected with the associated block 29 and its upper end is attached to a lug on the lifter which the spring serves.

The lifters serve to raise and hold the stops out of the path of the lugs on the associated bars and for this purpose I employ rigid arms extending from the lifters to the particular stops which the lifters control. These arms where they cooperate with the lifters engage beneath pins 38 thereon, as shown. The arms are so arranged that the stops of one bar are controlled by the lifters of another bar. This enables one bar to be released for full course knitting while the other two bars are restrained for partial course knitting as required for buffer or reenforcing purposes. In the specific arrangement shown in the drawings, arms 39. 39' of the lifters for bar I control the stops 21, 21' for bar 2. Arms 40. 40' of the lifters for bar 2 control the stops 28, 28' for bar 3. Arms 4|, M of the lifters for bar 3 control the stops 25, 25' for bar I. To accomplish the latter result arms 4|, 4| extend across the associated arms as shown in Fig. 8.

By these control arrangements, the bar with which the selector finger I6 is engaged, is released for full course knitting and imparts a full traverse movement to its thread carrier. The stops for the other bars, including the regular stops corresponding to the edges of the fabric, restrain the movement of said bars to the short traverses required for reenforce knitting.

To illustrate the action of the control means, attention is directed to Figs. 5 and 8. First, I wish to remark that the opposite ends of the bars I to 3 are inclined or beveled off, as at 42, 42'. Thus, these ends may pass underthe associated lifters and raise them to the upperedges of the bars for the purpose to be presently described. To make the buffer sections, the bars I to 3 operate as follows.

Referring to Fig. 8, stop 25 for bar I is held above the adjacent lug Ia on the bar by lifter 36 resting on the upper edge of bar 3. This releases bar I for a full traverse movement toward the left to lay the thread for a full course as indicated in Fig. 5. As bar I moves toward the left, the permanent frictions connected with bars 2 and 3 move them towardthe left and lay threads for the right and left buffer sections, respectively. This carries the thread carrier I0 of bar 2 from the inner edge of the left buffer section, indicated by the broken line at in Fig. 5 to the left edge of fabric indicated by the broken line e. lug 3a reaching stop 28. Thus, the thread carrier II of bar 3 moves from the right edge 1 of the fabric to the inner edge 9 of the right buffer section, as shown in Fig. 5. Stop 28 is set in this position, due to the fact that its lifter 35 is off of bar 2 and is in its lowermost position resting on the bed of the machine providing the support for the bars as shownin Fig. 8. The high splice threads are laid in by bars 4 and 5 moving from right to left, as shown for course I, in Fig. 5. The inner edges of the high splice portions are indicated in this figure by the broken lines 72., i. This completes the first course of the cycle for the knitting of the buffer sections.

As bar I moves to the left, its lug Ib passes under stop 26', lifting said stop with respect to its arm 4| and dropping the stop on the inner side of the lug as the lug passes under the stop. This positions the stop to limit the movement of bar I toward the right to the extent of the left buffer section when laying the next course, as indicated for the second course in Fig. 5. Bar I in its left-hand movement for the first course also passes under lifter 34 and raises stop 21' above its adjacent lug 25 on bar 2. This releases bar 2 for a full course traverse for the second course as shown in Fig. 5. Bar I is limited in its movement to the left buffer section as before stated. Bar 3 is moved back across the right buffer section to lay a thread for the second course as indicated in Fig. 5. Bars 4 and 5 travel in this same direction to lay threads for the high splice sections, as shown. This completes the second course of the cycle.

As bar 2 completes the second course, the right end of the bar passes under the lifter 35, raising it, and lifting the stop 28 out of the path of its adjacent lug 3a on the bar 3. This releases bar 3 for laying the third full course as shown in Fig. 5. As bar 2 completes the second course, its lug 2a passes under the stop 21, raising it and allowing said stop to drop on the rear side of the lug. This positions the stop 21 to limit the traverse movement of bar 2 for the third course to the right buffer section as shown in Fig. 5. Bar I is moved back across the left buffer section as shown and bars 4 and 5 lay the high splice threads completing the next course.

As bar 3 lays the third full course, it sets its stop 28 to limit the return movement of bar 3 to the left buffer section as indicated in Fig. 5 for the fourth course, and raises lifter 36' to raise stop 26' to release bar I for laying the fourth full course. As this course is laid, the bars move as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 5.

The fifth and sixth courses which follow are laid as indicated in Fig. 5 and then the cycle repeats itself until the buffer sections are completed. On that occurrence, the bars I to 3 are released from their permanent frictions, and the heel tabs with theirreenforcements are knitted. This is accomplished for the left tab by using the extra bars 4 and I. The right tab is made by bars I and 5 in the conventional manner.

From the foregoing, it is manifest that a ma- Bar 3 has its movement stopped by its chine equipped with my invention may utilize the same thread carriers which lay the full courses of the fabric to lay the threads for the reenforcing sections of the fabric. This is an important and novel advance in the art of full-fashioned knitting as it eliminates the use of extra carriers and their adjuncts for the reenforcing areas. Another advantage is that the selective alternating carrier method of knitting is retained throughout the fabric, the laying of the reenforcing threads by the main carriers not interfering with the selective alternating thread carrier method of knitting. Moreover, the controls are such as to return the main carriers used for reenforcing knitting to the positions they must assume to be picked up by the selective mechanism in its regular sequence of operations. In this connection, it will be noted from Fig. 5 that the carrier bars used for reenforcement kniting are always returned to the positions from which they must start to make the full courses in the proper sequence of the regular knitting. In accomplishing this result, it will be observed that one bar as it makes a full course always releases the bar next in order for the following full course and at the same time sets its stops to limit its movement for a short traverse for one of the reenforcements of that course. It will be also noted that the movement of the carriers for each course are always in the same direction. This positions one bar for the next full course and positions another bar to be moved into a starting position for the next following full course. The mechanism is simple in construction and operation and effectively accomplishes the objects for which it is designed.

In full-fashion machines, there is usually a number of needle banks along the length of the machine so that a number of stocking blanks may be knitted simultaneously. The main carrier bars I to 3 may extend the full length of the machine to be common to all of the needle banks. Each bar has a thread carrier at each bank for laying a thread for a full course. With one set of bars serving all of the needle banks, only one set of controls for reenforce knitting is required for the bars as shown herein. When the machine is used for plain knitting, as in the plain part of the leg blanks, the permanent frictions 20 and the special controls at the opposite ends of the machine are thrown out of action. The stops and lifters of these controls at the opposite ends of the machine are elevated by levers 43, as shown in Fig. 6. Each lever has a pin 44 extending inwardly under the arms of the lifters to raise them when the lever is swung upwardly as apparent from Fig. 6. Lifter 36 which is longer than the others has an additional arm 45 in the neighborhood of the arms on the other lifters for engagement with the pin of the lever as shown.

My invention has been herein illustrated and described as applied to a full fashion machine in which the carriers operate in a certain sequence, but as will be readily understood, the invention is also applicable to full fashion machines in which other sequences of operations are employed. The only change required in adapting the invention to the various different types of machines would be a rearrangement of the various stop and lift connections to conform to the particular sequence of carrier operation employed.

In closing, I wish to remark that my invention is not to be limited to the knitting of reenforcements in the heel section of a stocking. By an appropriate rearrangement of the stops and lifts, the reenforcements could be knitted at any other desired place in the blank. For instance, in the knitting of the body or leg portion of the stocking with the three carrier method, considerable tightness or tension occurs in the selvage edges due to the alternate laying of the separate threads for the courses. This has occasioned some difficulty in the use of the method and has made it necessary to resort to special expedients in order to avoid puckering and other unevenness in and along the seam. By operating the carriers throughout the body as in the knitting of the buffer sections as hereinbefore described and restricting the short travel of the carriers to a very few wales, two or four for instance, this tendency toward tension in the selvages may be entirely overcome. The very limited area of reenforcing resulting along the edges would be taken into the seam and therefore would not appear in the fin; ished stocking.

My invention is also adapted for application to full fashion footers for kniting reenforcements over any areas desired in the foot sections of hose.

Furthermore, the knitting method of my invention is applicable to knitting the high splice sections of the stocking when the buffer sections are to be eliminated. To accomplish this the body portion of the fabric and the high splice sections are knitted by the use of the main carriers as heretofore described, the main carriers being employed to lay the threads for the high splice sections. Should these sections traverse the full courses to an extent greater or less than herein shown for the buffer areas, the stops and associated means which control the traverse movement of the main carriers for laying threads for the reenforcing areas would be adjusted to suit the extent of the traverse required. In all the cases the body threads of the full courses have integral portions continued into adjacent courses to form the reenforcing threads for such courses. In the form of knitted fabric herein shown and described, at least two of the body threads are periodically laid back and forth over portions of some of the courses to form the reenforcement. In further explanation of this feature of my invention, I wish to point out that in the specific embodiment as herein disclosed, and more particularly by reference to Fig. 5, it will be apparent that each body thread after having been laid for a full course, is continued into the next two following courses for a portion of the length of each of such courses to reenfor'ce the latter courses whereupon the body thread is continued into the next following or third course to form the full course. In short, the action is such that each body thread is given a short traverse back and forth to lay a reenforcement for the two courses which intervene between the full courses laid by such body thread. This short back and forth traverse of each body thread is in association with the laying of the full courses by the selected other body threads so that each full course comprises its selected body thread and continued integral portions of the other body threads to provide the reenforcements. It will also be observed from Fig. 5 that the back and forth short traverses of each body thread for the reenforcing areas are repeated along the side edges of the fabric, first along one side and then along the opposite side with a full course traverse dividins each set of short traverses. This will be clear by following the action of the carrier bars I to 3 mm. 5. After the bar I has laid its body thread for the first full course of this figure, the bar I is given short back and forth traverses at the left edge of the fabric for the next two courses. The traverse for the second course is inward while the traverse for the third course is outward, whereupon the bar I is given a full traverse for the fourth course. The bar is then given back and forth short traverses at the right edge of the fabric to lay the reenforcement for the fifth and sixth courses, whereupon the bar I is given a full traverse for the seventh course, and the operations described repeated through the area of the fabric to be reenforced. The action of the other bars 2 and 3 is similar'to that of bar I, except that the order of their operation is so arranged that while one bar is laying a full course, the other bars are laying their body threads for the reenforcements at the opposite side edges of the fabric. The full and short traverses of each bar are, however, the same as described for bar I, their short traverses being alternated along the opposite side edges of the fabric and divided by a full traverse. Thus, as shown in Fig. 5, after the bar 2 has made a full traverse for the second course, its short traverses are at the right edge of the fabric for the third and fourth courses, whereupon the bar 2 is given a full traverse for the fifth course. The bar 2 is then given short traverses for the next two courses at the left edge of the fabric before its next full traverse. Similarly, bar 3 after a full traverse for the third course is given short traverses at the left edge of the fabric for the fourth and fifth courses, and this is repeated at the right edge of the fabric for the seventh and eighth courses after the bar 3 has had a full traverse for the sixth course. With this method of knitting, the carrier bars while released from laying full courses may be used to lay their threads for the reenforcing areas. Also with each set of the short traverses terminating at a side edge of the fabric, the carrier bar is positioned to make a full traverse for the next following course. Thus, the body of the fabric may be made in the regular manner of alternating selective carrier knitting and the reenforcing areas produced by, integral portions of the threads which are used to make up the body of the fabric.

Moreover, I do not wish to be limited to the details of construction and arrangement of parts shown and described, as they may be variously changed and modified without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, except as pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. In the art of knitting full-fashioned fabrics wherein a plurality of main thread carriers are alternately utilized for laying the full courses of the fabric, the method of knitting a reinforcing section in the fabric which consists in simultaneously operating two of said main carriers for a portion of each course of the section to be reinforced, stopping one of said simultaneously operated carriers after the laying of the threads in the reinforcing section has been completed and utilizing the motion of the carrier laying any full course in the reinforcing section to free a previously stopped main carrier for full course laying.

2. A machine for knitting full-fashioned fabric comprising a plurality of main thread carriers, means for alternately operating said carriers for laying the threads in the full courses of the plain or unreinforced areas of the fabric, means for simultaneously actuating a plurality of said main thread carriers for laying a plurality of threads of the fabric to be reinforced, and means responsive to the motion of carriers laying the full courses in the areas reinforced for controlling the extent of movement of the carriers laying the reinforcing threads in such sections.

3. The combination with a flat knitting machine having three alternately operating carriers and automatically operable selector and friction mechanism associated therewith, of means of modifying and controlling the operation of said carriers at any point in the plain knitting operation in such wise as to cause said carriers, during periods they would normally be idle, to traverse predetermined portions of courses to lay reinforcing threads simultaneously with the main thread traversing} movement of the carrier selected for full course travel, said means including individual friction mechanisms and lugs associated with said carriers, stops coacting with said lugs, and lifting devices for said stops operated by said carriers.

4. In a full-fashioned knitting machine, three main carrier bars, a thread carrier on each of said bars, means for selectively engaging the bars and moving them alternately for laying threads for full courses, means for operating the carrier bars when released from the selector means for laying additional threads for a portion of each of the full courses for reinforcing the same, stops cooperable with lugs on the carrier bars for limiting the extent of their motion when laying additional threads, lifters for the stops and actuated in the movement of the bars for the full and short traverse motions thereof to set the stops for controlling the motion of the bars in laying said courses, and arms carried by the lifters and extending to the stops of the adjacent bars for controlling the movement thereof for their short traverse motions.

5. In a flat knitting machine having a multiplicity of carrier rods and means for reciprocating them; means equal in number to said carrier rods, each of which is adapted to arrest the inward traverse of a different carrier rod at a point intermediate its full traverse without affecting the traverse of the other carrier rods, and means on each carrier rod for rendering inoperative the said arresting means for another carrier rod when each carrier rod approaches an end stop.

6. In a fiat knitting machine provided with a reciprocable friction rod and carrier rod, a carrier rod control mechanism consisting of a friction device frictionally engaged with said friction rod and provided with means for independently connecting it to each of said carrier rods for driving the same, means equal in number to said carrier rods each' of which is adapted to arrest the movement of a different carrier rod at a point intermediate its full traverse, the operation of each of said arresting means being controlled by means on a carrier rod other than the one which it is adapted to arrest, each of said arresting means comprising a movable member provided with a stop engageable with a stop on its respective carrier rod at the end of the partial stroke of said carrier rod and also provided with means engageable with other means on another carrier rod adapted to raise said member sufflciently to release its stop from the stop on its respective 7 carrier rod whenever both carrier rods approach the same end stop.

HARRY A. THIERFELDER. 

